Avatar: The Rise Of The Vilea
by Loelapaloela
Summary: An old evil prodigy is back. And this time, not alone. A race with a power stronger than ever. And she wants just one thing; revenge. With a world that no longer believes in her, she just might get it.
1. Chapter 1: Well, I wasn't expecting that

There had always been legends about us, from time to time we would meet someone and people down there would start talking. That hasn't happened in a very long time, the legends have become stories for their children. People used to be terrified of us, but their fear has faded now they don't see any of us anymore. They shouldn't have been scared of us back then.

But that was before _she _came along.

**Chapter 1. **

**Well, I wasn't expecting **_**that.**_

I woke to the sound of trumpets, again. Ugh, tournament-month. In my overly boring life this is the most boring period of time, the month in which everybody celebrates summer by watching the games or playing them. I now belong to the (much smaller) group of people who only watch and don't compete in any of the competitions, it's not that I don't _want_ to, I'm simply not _allowed_ to. It is certain that I'll win, I'm not saying that because I'm extremely arrogant, I'm saying that because I'm the Avatar.

Yeah right, bow down and admire me for a second, I'm the Avatar.

Ever since I was little I've been a good bender and I had been training a lot for the tournament-month, and a year ago I was finally old enough to enter the competition. I was good, I'm not going to lie, and I made it to the grand finale. I am an earthbender and throughout that whole tournament I had only done earthbending, because back then I didn't know I was capable of any other bending, but in that competition I somehow firebended. I still don't know why or how I did it (I meant to kick a rock but fire exploded out of my foot, weird..). I was just as surprised as everyone else was, our librarian immediately realised that this meant that I was probably an Avatar. I was disqualified and so that waterbender won but I'll get a rematch sometime.

And now I'm not allowed to play anymore, it's not fair when my opponent has one element and I have four. Even though I haven't mastered any other bending besides earthbending and I've never firebended after that one game, I could still get into the Avatar State, at least, that's what our librarian says.

I've never gotten into the Avatar State though, I don't think it's that easy but he still doesn't like the risk. He and I did a lot of research on Avatars, the story of Avatar Aang is widely known but besides that no one really knows anything about Avatars. The explanation is that I'm the first Avatar since Avatar Aang died about a hundred years ago, nobody knows why but our librarian says it's probably because the world didn't need an Avatar after Avatar Aang. That is one of the worries that live in the back of my head, me being an Avatar probably means that the world _needs_ one.

Even though I've planned to spend today studying Avatar-stuff, I'm not looking forward to it. Everybody is out competing, even Lee, the librarian, is not studying Avatars this month, which is very rare considering the fact that he is completely obsessed with Avatars, and thus with me. It's really hard to find any information, just because it's such a long time ago an Avatar actually lived.

It's been a year now and I'm beginning to doubt if I'm even an Avatar. From the information we've read I've learned that I can be in contact with all the past Avatars (I was thrilled to know that, I'd love to hear Aang's story) and the Avatar before me is supposed to help me from time to time. Maybe Avatar Aang hates me, 'cause I haven't heard from him at all. And then you have the Avatar State; I've never reached it (doesn't keep people from treating me like a bomb) and the visions I'm supposed to get; totally none. The only thing that might proof I'm the Avatar is that I kicked fire out of my foot, once.

Today I'll be studying this book that got in yesterday, one of Lee's friends in Omashu had found it. I decided not to stay here in the library, it's a beautiful place but you can hear the people outside and that's the last thing I want to be reminded of. I went back to my room and jumped in bed, this book is mainly about the past Avatars. Great, I was hoping for something new and this sure looked good.

First up is Avatar Aang's story, well I know that one by heart since I read it all the time, but second is Avatar Roku, I've never heard of him..

When I finished Avatar Roku's story, which helped me understand the war a lot more, I flipped the page to read about the Avatar before him.

'Avatar Kyoshi, earth.'

Wait, _earth_? That can't be right, before her there must have been an airbender and before air goes fire (Aang and Roku) but that means they're skipping water.

Unless..

"Lee!"

I was totally out of breath, running down so many stairs with this heat is not healthy.  
"Hi girl, what's up? What are you doing here, you decided you wanted to watch a game after all?"  
I took a few deep breaths and my breathing slowed. Oh, thanks for reminding me of the games, I felt my frustration grow but I corrected myself quickly, it's not _his_ fault I'm the Avatar and I had to give up my lifelong dream. But am I really an Avatar?  
"No it's not that, I found something in that book from Omashu that's really confusing, here see for yourself;" I pointed at the images, "'Avatar Aang, air' and before him 'Avatar Roku, fire' and before _him_" I flipped the page and felt my excitement grow, "'Avatar Kyoshi, _earth_'"

He didn't say anything and just stared for a very long time, I could tell he was thinking, but he still didn't say anything.  
"Well? What do you think? What does this mean?"  
He opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind.  
"What? What are you thinking Lee?"  
What's the matter with him? He knows everything or at least has theories.  
"Maya, I think you should think for yourself. I've been doing all the thinking because I find this very interesting but now it's about you, about you as an Avatar. You tell me what _you're_ thinking."

Ok, that caught me off guard. I have to decide? I, me, 15-year-old weird teenage girl, have to decide what I've got to do about this danger that's unknowingly hanging above _all_ of us? I felt my fear come up, the biggest fear I've had since he said I was the Avatar. What if I did something _wrong_?  
"But.. I don't know.. You know everything and, well, you've got to help me, I don't what this is and what I'm supposed to be doing and what if.. I don't know.. What if I make a decision _and it turns out to be a_ _mistake_?"

We started walking out of town, up to the mountains where we could actually hear each other.

"Maya.. Girl, is this honestly where you worry about so much? You don't even have to do anything yet. At this point I know just as much as you do, and someday you'll have to be able to do this without my help. Now tell me, why did you want to show me this, you must have had a reason, which is naturally based on a conclusion, tell me."

He was right; I did have theories, just like he always has. The only difference is that my theories are plain stupid and now he was making me tell them.

"I warn you, they're stupid and will probably make you cry out in frustration at my inferior brain."

He sighed.

"Ok, Avatar Aang, Roku and Kyoshi are air, fire and earth, I'm earth but I'm after air. So.. Or they're simply skipping water, or I'm not the Avatar after Avatar Aang, or I'm not an Avatar at all."  
He nodded but had no intention of speaking; he wasn't letting me stop.

"Well, they're not skipping water because there have been water Avatars, I saw that on the list in the back of the book. That leaves us two options, I'm not an Avatar or the Avatar before me lived in secrecy and died about 15 years ago."  
He didn't say anything and I stared at the view.  
"Hey, that kind of explains it doesn't it? I don't connect with former Avatars because I'm not one of them!"  
He sighed and shook his head, even though I have my doubts, he's one hundred percent sure I'm an Avatar. I remember the many times I tried to contact Avatar Aang, meditating has never been my strongest point.  
"Or simply because I have only been searching for Avatar Aang while meditating! I didn't know, I thought I needed Avatar Aang as my guardian but the Avatar before me was someone else."

He still didn't say anything in response, but seemed to agree with me, and left me alone with my thoughts.

The Avatar before me must have been from the Water Tribe, why had he gone into hiding? Why had no one seen he was an Avatar? What had he been doing up until 15 years ago? How had he died? Would I find him when I meditated? Maybe I will but I think I won't, he was denying being an Avatar after all. Suddenly I felt a huge weight fall off my shoulders; I wasn't here because the world needed me but just because the cycle turned on earth.

And then he finally said something.

"The question now is; why did the water Avatar go into hiding and what has he or she been up to? I think you should meditate for him or her now.."  
He hesitated, he knows meditating is hard for me. I think my mind is much too hyperactive for meditating. I have to reassure him.  
"I'll try, I feel good now actually. Maybe there's no danger after all, I'm just here to continue the cycle."

He looked doubtful but I really think meditation will work out for me now, so I sat down and closed my eyes. I breathed in, setting my mind open. With my worries being replaced by excitement I was much calmer than ever before, for the first time I felt myself being pulled underneath the mists I now saw. Then slowly images began to form, is meditation supposed to do this? It's kind of cool.

It was foggy; the mists seemed to stretch endlessly around me. I was high up in the mountains and I was terrified, it wasn't the kind of fear you have when you're alone and feel uneasy. It was fear like I'd never felt it before, as if everything around me; the air, the fog, the trees, the low bushes, the rocks, the grass hidden under the snow underneath my feet… everything, was warning me for the people I could not see and could not hear but whose presence I had felt ever since I was here. They were highly dangerous and I had to stop them, before it was too late.  
As I said, it was terrifying in a way I had never experienced before, that was when it became too much for me and it all turned black.

"Maya? Maya, can you hear me?"  
I groaned.  
"Maya, what happened?"  
I sat up, Lee was staring at me with a shocked expression in his eyes. I blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust to the light, we were just out of town on top of a hill. He studied my face and before he could start asking questions, I started talking.

"I… I was in the mountains, very high and it was foggy. I don't understand, everything was afraid of them, if that's even possible. There were people, I knew they were there but I could not see or hear them, and everything around me was telling me to stop them. The air felt heavy, how do you call that? Despair, or something like that. We have to stop them, Lee. We have to, everything was crying out for help…" I shuddered at the memory of that feeling, "…and I was extremely terrified. Do you understand this? What _was_ that?"  
"Maya, I think you just had a vision."

---------------------------------------- End Of Chapter 1 ------------------------------------------------


	2. Chapter 2: Is this what we're after?

The endless mists that stretched around us kept us hidden, although we never thought of it as hiding. She asked why a few days after she had arrived, no one knew the answer. Slowly she began to push the subject, and she was right.

Hiding is _wrong_.

**Chapter 2.**

**Is **_**this **_**what we're after?**

"Ok, meditation is _not_ cool. Well, I think it _could_ be cool when you have all these images forming and stuff but this was _not_ cool. I'm telling you Lee; I've never been that scared in my entire life. I'm not kidding you, what am I going to do? What did that mean? I'm really an Avatar, right? Oh this is _so_ not cool, seriously there's danger and I _still_ didn't contact the water Avatar. Lee, I swear he hates me and I did something wrong…"  
Lee tried to interrupt my hysterical stream of out loud thinking as we walked back to town. "Maya…"  
"… all the Avatars before me _did_ something, they _meant_ something. I can't do a thing here, I'll be the first dumb Avatar _ever _and everyone's going to hate me and…"  
"Maya, now listen to me!"

Lee made me stop, he rested his hands on my shoulders but I was still in total panic.  
"Hey… calm down, it's ok. Breathe slower! Seriously Maya, you're overreacting. Breathe… that's right, feel better?"  
I nodded.  
"All right, you just had vision. It's a good thing Maya; we know a little bit more now, don't we?"  
I wanted to respond, but he held his hand up to stop me.  
"I understand you felt the danger, it must have been really bad but…"  
I tried to correct him, '_really bad_'? And again he wouldn't let me.  
"_But_ maybe this is the way he or she contacts with you, now that you've found it you'll probably get more signs. What you saw might not be happening right now, it could be a warning for what is coming. Maya, you're just beginning. It's ok, you know."  
His words finally calmed me down. But I couldn't get the images I saw out of my head and again, before I could start talking, Lee said something.  
"We'll deal with it tomorrow, put it in the back of your head and relax. Enough worries for today."  
I breathed in slowly, then pushed the thoughts to the back of my head. I couldn't be more thankful for my trainer who taught me this.

"There, you feel better?"  
"Yeah, I do. Thanks."

My voice had dropped an octave. We were halfway on our way back to town, from here it looks even smaller. The wind went through my hair as I looked at the setting sun. Lee was walking next to me, staring at our town. I've always wondered why he chose this library to work in, he knows so much and he was even stationed in Ba Sing Se but changed his mind and came here. I know why he became a librarian, he loves knowledge. He has connections everywhere, that's the whole point of librarians; they keep books or trade them if necessary with other librarians. Lee always says that is 'to keep the information flowing', they're letting it flow throughout the whole country.

"Lee?"  
"Yes."  
"This proves I'm the Avatar, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does. But I've never doubted that before you know, _you_ have."  
"I didn't want to be the Avatar, so I could play."  
"Why are the games so important to you?"  
I had to think about that for a moment, what made me want to compete in them?

"Because ever since I could walk I have been earthbending, I trained myself and my trainer only taught me the meditation stuff. When I was 8 I started to notice I bended differently than the others, thinking before doing and stuff. They told me my style was similar to the style of Avatar Aang, I was going to be a phenomenon. I was _good_. Can you understand that? Oh, and can you keep a secret?"  
"Of course I can."  
"I did research in the library about 5 years ago, I wanted to know what Avatar Aang's style was like. I found that he, and his master Toph, could _see_ with earthbending. She was blind you know, she felt the vibrations in the earth and that's how she saw. She could see, well hear, feel, whatever, enemies coming from great distances. She could bend _metal_. I took the book home and practised, I can do that too now. I can feel the bugs walking under the bushes on the right, I can even crush a tiny piece of metal."  
Lee gasped.

"I was on my way to become a legend, the games here were just the beginning. I couldn't be happier when the teen games would be held here, in this tiny town. I easily got through the qualification games, then I could start fighting against other elements. The first firebender was easy; he moved his feet a lot. The other firebender was a little bit harder to take down, but he made one mistake and I won. With the first waterbender I almost thought I was going to loose but I was lucky and won again. Then it was time for the grand finale…"  
I sighed, it felt good to finally be able to tell someone though.

"… I was nervous, I had been close to loosing from a waterbender and I didn't want that to happen again. I almost had her, I wanted to kick a rock to stop the ice she threw at me but it was fire. It worked, her ice melted and I could have given the final blow. If I hadn't firebended, I would have won."

I could hear my bitter tone as I said the last words, I'm sure Lee had heard it too.  
"I'm sorry, I…"  
"It's ok girl, I understand. You should do some training again though; you might need it in the future. I think it could also be useful if you tried to do some firebending again. It will be the easiest to learn for you, firebending and earthbending are quite similar. But all that can rest 'til tomorrow, now you need to eat and sleep."

He was right; I was hungry and exhausted. We walked the last bit to my house in silence, my thoughts still racing through everything I'd heard today. I was an Avatar. My doorstep didn't look the same. I am the Avatar.

"Lee?"  
"Yes."  
"I'm the Avatar."  
"Yes, you are."  
"Doesn't sound right to me."  
"You'll get used to it, don't worry."

"I don't think I will."  
"Avatar Maya"

I punched him for that.

"Maya, Maya honey I'm here."  
My mom stroked my hair out of my face.  
"Stop crying sweetie, it was just a dream, it's over now."

She wiped the tears of my cheeks and studied my face.  
"Hey, what's wrong honey, what has upset you so much?"

I sat up and examined my room; it was dark even though the sky outside was bright with light. Great, dawn. Outside I could see my town as it has always been, the complete opposite of the snowy and ice-cold landscape I had seen in my dream. Had it been a dream? I didn't think so.

"I'm sorry mom, I'm fine again, really."  
"Ok… well go back to sleep, sweetie, you need it with all the Avatar-stress around you…"  
And I sunk back into sleep for another hour.

"Wow Maya, you're early! Well, I could have expected that, you love training, don't you?"  
Lee was totally up and moving when I arrived.

"Don't you want to go and watch the games today?"  
"Well… I know don't really pay attention, but the qualification games are over and the winners are off to Ember Island for the real thing."  
"Oh, well. That's good, it'll be quiet again. Anyway, there's something I have to tell you first…"  
He saw my tired face.  
"Oh no, you did not…"  
"Hell yeah I did"

He looked worried as he let me in, I must look terrible. He gave me a cup of tea and a cookie and nearly pushed me on the couch.

"Ok, tell me. What did you see?"

"It was sort of a dream, Lee. Does that count?"  
"A dream?" He raised one eyebrow.

"Well, it happened while I was sleeping but apart from that it felt like a vision."  
He nodded impatiently.

"It was snowy everywhere, an endless world of snow and ice. There's a huge city in there, it's beautiful. I walked through the city, I knew where I was going, like I'd been there before. At one point I was at someone's house, an old lady. She's nearly dying and well, this is going to sound weird, but I loved her, Lee. I loved her insanely much, I have to find her before she dies. That's all I know, I want to find her, I have to."

I skipped the part where I woke up uncontrollably crying because I saw that woman in pain.

"It was covered in snow you said, a big city? Well, that's a Water Tribe city, on the North Pole or the South Pole. We'll have to look at images in my books to find the right Pole then."  
"And see if I recognise it?" It sounded impossible, I had only seen a few streets…  
"Well, the architecture of both cities are very different. The South Pole city was completely rebuilt about a hundred years ago. I think one of the cities has boats as main transporting through the canals, which are like streets there and…"  
"Yeah, that's what it was like! On the side you have a tiny street like we have here, made out of snow of course, only one person could walk there."  
"I wish I could remember which of the two that one was… Well, we'll find it in a book anyway."

"Why isn't any of my books about _architecture_… it's not _that _uninteresting."

I giggled, Lee has an enormous faith in books. Everything is written in a book somewhere, he believes. It's funny when he can't find the thing he's looking for in any of his books, he totally panics at the mere thought of not being able to know something.

"What about that one over there? The one you've been lifting up all the time but never looked at. What's it called? Oh, 'the culture of the Water Tribe, north and south compared'. Right, Lee, perfect eye sight."  
He looked confused and then he saw me laughing.  
"Hey, not so overconfident Miss Avatar, people make mistakes, it's very common."

"Well, I'm sorry. I should have known that you people are not like me, with my Avatar superpowers, and thus make mistakes."

He laughed at my sarcasm and opened the book.

"Lee, maybe it would be useful if you skip all that reading and flip to the images-section in the back of the book."  
"Hey, how did you know there's an image-section?"  
"Avatar powers, obviously. No, look at the pages from the side, image-pages have darker sides…If you hadn't been so obsessed with reading, you would have seen it too."  
He mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"Ah finally. There, is that something like you saw?"  
"Yeah! It looked like that in my dream… vision. Which one is that?"  
"Uhm, that's the Northern Water Tribe. Does this mean we're going to the North Pole?"  
"I… guess it does."

--------------------------------------- End Of Chapter 2 -------------------------------------------------


	3. Chapter 3: The little waterbender

"But princess, what about the Avatar?"  
The servant shivered as he bowed, he lifted up his head a little, waiting for an answer.

His leader only laughed.  
"I've dealt with the Avatar about 15 years ago, there is no such thing as an Avatar in this world."

**Chapter 3.**

**The little waterbender.**

"Hi Maya, what are you doing?"

Oh no, my dad's home. What is he doing here? He's not supposed to be home! Why oh why has he chosen exactly _today_ to be early?

"Maya, I asked you something."  
He was almost upstairs, I could hear his footsteps walking towards my door. What in earth am I going to do now?

"Uhm, nothing dad. Just wait ok? I'm coming down already, my room's a mess, please don't come in."

Ok, that sounded weak. My room's always a mess, it couldn't be an excuse.

"Hi honey, I'm home!"

And my mom's shows up to save the day!

"Well… You mother's home so I'm going downstairs. Be down in a minute Maya."  
"Ok dad."

I looked around my room, everything I own is spread across the floor, divided in three groups: going, staying and undecided.

What am I going to say to them? Will they let me go?

So you could say I was dead nervous as I walked down the stairs. My parents were telling each other about their day when I walked in. I tried not to draw attention to myself, which is impossible with only three people in this room, and sat down where my dad had put a cup of tea for me.

"Well Maya, what's so new about your room being messy?"

"Oh come on, give the girl some privacy if she wants to have it."  
Thank you mom.

"What did you do today Maya?"  
Oh, I should have known. First she says 'give her some privacy', then she asks for the same thing in an innocent way.

"Well, I went up to Lee's to discuss something with him and then I went home."

That was short, not at all like my usual endless blabbering about everything.

"What did you discuss with him and why didn't you let me in your room? I believe the two are connected."

He's taking his job home again; this is definitely his head-of-the-keepers-voice. I don't even know why we have keepers here, nothing happens here. And the name is so stupid, 'keepers' because they keep the town peaceful, or whatever they call it. Yeah right, like we have criminals here.

My mom and dad were still waiting for my answer, me being quiet for some time made this extra dramatic. Great.

"It's just… Well, yesterday I had a vision and…"  
They sighed, here we go… They don't believe in the spiritual Avatar-stuff.  
"Please listen to me, I had another vision last night. Yes dad, in my dreams, it wasn't a dream because I say it was not. And I went to Lee's to discuss that with him, it requires immediate action."  
They didn't say anything, my dad didn't seem to understand. My mom had a shocked expression on her face; she probably understood what I'd meant with _immediate action_.

"So you're saying that you, based on a dream, believe you should do something?"

"Dad… It's not like that. I had a _vision_ yesterday in which I saw that we're in danger. Not specifically we, but everybody's in danger. Last night I saw this woman who has to help me, she knows more."

I sounded convincing, I hope.

"So you want to _leave_?"

"Yes." It was barely a whisper.

"I'm not letting you go."  
Of course he wasn't, only my mom could get him of that path.

"Mom… You do believe me, right?"

"I'm not sure, I do believe your father is right. We're not letting you go."  
"Why?"

It was my father who answered, he looked kind of worried now actually. Probably triggered by my short answers and serious face, not at all like I usually am.

"You're too young to go off on your own, obviously, and I don't see why you should.

"Fine."

And then I walked away, upstairs to pack more.

I know I've left them in shock, not screaming or trying to convince them is something I've never done since last year. Completely ignoring their will is also something I've never done before; this is going to be the very first time then.

I tried not to worry about it, and as I was packing my 'undecided' pile was shrinking, my 'staying' pile grew and my 'going' pile stayed an acceptable size. I had to only pack what I _needed_, not what I _wanted_ to take with me.

Now that I'm done, my 'going' pile contains some books and some clothes, it easily fits in my shoulder bag. I know Lee will take _a lot_ of books so I've only taken the book about the previous Avatars and the book about every bending style, so I can practice.

Up until now I've surprised myself by being so calm, as I said; up until now. I'm completely _freaking out_ right now. Lee will be here at dawn tomorrow morning, I'll sneak out and we'll run away. I'm running away with _Lee_. I was definitely _not_ expecting that just a few days ago. I've never really liked Lee; he was the one person that had kept me from winning. I guess I blamed him, even though he couldn't help it. But ever since I've had that vision, well, he seems so nice. He's not at all like I thought he was, maybe I should have given him a change the past year. He seemed such a know-it-all and totally obsessed with Avatars, not anyone who I could be friends with. Turns out that he's really funny and my only good friend, I guess. Everybody kind of dropped after they heard I was the Avatar.

It doesn't matter anymore, I'm leaving this town and it's going to be a long journey. I'm not planning on coming back after we've been to the North Pole, meeting that woman is only the beginning. My parents haven't bothered me this whole evening, not even for dinner. They're probably really mad that I walked away and are letting me think it over, they're waiting for an apology they're never going to get. Maybe it's mean to leave them like this, I don't know. They've never really accepted who I was, as if they didn't like me as the Avatar. But before that they've never fully acknowledged my talent for bending, which probably comes down to being an Avatar again. Even if I had the perfect life here, it couldn't stop me from leaving. I have to do this, not for me but for everyone. Is this something they even realise? That I'm responsible for the safety of everyone? I guess they don't. I really got to sleep now, in a few hours I'll be leaving… What would it be like on the North Pole? I felt sleep coming over me as I thought of the city we're going to visit and just before I sunk into sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what waterbending would feel like.

"You are really sure about this, right?"  
"Lee, I've already said this a thousand times; yes. I am completely and totally sure about this."  
We were in a little restaurant, far far away from home and I felt surprisingly excited. Outside was Lee's ostrich horse, drinking water and looking happy to finally be able to really run. As I ate the best noodles I've ever eaten Lee stared at me from across the table, still not convinced.

"Lee, no kidding, I want this."

"Sure, sure."  
A girl came to pick up his plate, she had tied her very long dark hair in a tail high on the back of her head and it swinged all over the place when she moved. Before she walked away she turned to Lee.  
"Is there anything I can get you?"

She smiled a giggly smile and turned her head a little, what was she _doing_? Lee thanked her and asked for one cup of tea, she smiled that smile again and threw her hair over her shoulder before she turned and walked away.

I ate my noodles and Lee read the newspaper, nothing special or awkward but I was still anxious for the girl to come back. What does she want from us, well, from Lee? She came with his tea and as she poured it in she looked more at Lee than necessary, and again when she walked away she smiled and threw her hair over her shoulder. Lee didn't notice, neither did he see her looking at him over her shoulder just before she turned around the corner to the kitchen. I still don't understand what… wait, is this girl _interested_ in Lee? But he is way too old! That girl couldn't be more than 2 years older than me… But is Lee that old? I studied his face, he is actually pretty young, especially for a librarian.

"Well Maya, ready to go?"

"Uh, what? Oh, yeah totally ready."

Riding is not my favourite thing to do, but it's fast. This road is even bumpier than the one we were on this morning, lucky for me that I don't have to do anything. I'm sitting in front of Lee, leaning against his chest with my eyes closed. I wish that girl could see me sitting here like this. That would have changed that annoying smile on her face… Oh I did not just think that! When a girl wants to flirt with Lee, how unnoticeable and useless it might be, she can do that. It shouldn't bother me _at all_, wait it doesn't bother me! It really doesn't, because it shouldn't. There's no reason for me to be bothered by the fact that a girl is flirting with Lee. That does absolutely _not_ bother me.

"Hey girl, you still awake?"

"Yeah, I am. Are we almost there?"

"Almost. Two days from now we'll be on the North Pole, can you imagine?"  
The North Pole was closer than I'd thought, tomorrow round noon we'll be arriving at the coast, then we'll take a boat and at noon the next day we'll be there.

"Actually, I can't. Not at all, it still seems so far away and so unreal…"

"Hmm, I guess that's true for me too."

It's weird that now, when I'm so far away from home and facing a million more troubles than ever before, I'm happier than I've ever been. It feels like I'm living my dream, riding to the sunset while leaning against Lee's chest. Life doesn't get more beautiful; the sky is coloured with so many colours… I didn't know that was even possible. Behind me Lee plays with my hair. I don't know what it is that makes me so happy right now, I'm just happy. I'm running away and I don't want to ever go back.

I am free.

There's a little boy sitting by the water, I'm sure that I know him. He splashed the water a little, the water stayed in the air and started to slowly fly around in circles.

This boy is a waterbender, a pretty good one for his age. Then he saw me and beckoned me to join him, I tried to say that I couldn't but no words came out of my mouth so I went over there to sit next to him. He seems so familiar and still I'm sure that I've never seen him before. He started to push and pull the water, the water obeyed. He took my hands and made them do the same movement, this wouldn't work but I couldn't tell him. Then I felt it, the water moved as my hands did.

It was great, then the boy ran away, deep into the forest that surrounded us. Just before he was out of sight he waved, I waved back.

"Bye little waterbender"  
Then I knew where he was running for, in the shadows I could see the silhouette of a woman walking towards me…

"What did you say Maya?"  
I woke up and opened my eyes, it was completely dark, the ostrich horse had stopped and Lee had thrown our bags on the ground.  
"Huh, what?"

Lee giggled, stepped of the ostrich horse and offered me his hand to help me of, which I gladly took.

"You said something just now, 'something something waterbender'… What was that?"  
"I said that out loud?"  
"You sure did."  
"Oh."

"You had a dream about a waterbender? That could have been the Avatar before you!"  
"No… I don't think it was, it was just a little boy."


	4. Chapter 4: Crossing the ocean

**Gosh, it's been ages. I'm sorry for the ones who actually read my story, but I've been **_**really**_** busy (but it **_**is**_** longer than the other chapters…). I'll try to write the next chapter faster but I can't promise anything. Oh, and I'm sorry for the messy look this whole thing has on the internet (I still haven't figured out how to do it right) and for any mistakes. Would it me a good explanation if I said I'm just plain stupid and English isn't my first language? Whatever, not many people are reading this anyway.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Forgive me for asking princess but are you absolutely sure about that?"

She rose before she answered and started to walk from the right of her stage to the left as she spoke.  
"Are you doubting me?"  
It was a simple question, only she could make simple questions sound so threatening that you want to run away as fast as you can. Nobody dared to doubt her.  
"No! No, not at all. I just thought that, well, we have to be really sure…"  
"The Avatar was just a little boy and I killed him while he was in the Avatar State, I am one hundred percent sure that the Avatar is dead."

**Chapter 4.**

**Crossing the ocean.**

"Wow Lee look at that!"

It was our second travelling day, I sat in front of Lee again and pointed excitedly at the ocean. It was so beautiful!

"You like it?"  
He sounded a bit surprised.

"Of course I do! Who wouldn't like that? Sure, it's not tropical but it's still beautiful."  
"Not many people think that actually, but I think this is beautiful too."  
"You better!"

I jumped of the ostrich horse before he could offer me his hand; I was too excited to wait for him as i usually did (which made no sense, I could bend earth to make some steps in no time if I wanted to) and started walking towards the boat. The boat had looked big from a distance, but now that I'm on it it's ten times as big. I made a pirouette to look around and Lee laughed.  
"What?"  
"You're funny."  
"No I'm not, I'm happy."  
Lee giggled.  
"Lee, you doing it _again_!"

"What?"  
"You _giggled_. You did that yesterday too!"

"What's wrong about giggling?"  
"It's girlie! Guys don't _giggle_, they _chuckle_."

"What's the difference?"

"Giggling is higher, I think, and chuckling is way more sarcastic. And meaner."

Lee looked at me as if I was crazy.  
"And it's definitely more manly."

"Sure Maya, let's go and eat something."

Lee took my hand to make sure I wouldn't lose him in the crowd. How many people do they want to put on one boat? There are people _everywhere_.

As we walked towards the restaurant someone bumped into me and nearly made me fall, but Lee caught me in time and swung me to his other side which nearly made me fall _again_. Then I tickled Lee to make him fall, without any effect unfortunately, but made him laugh. I just stood there against him and we couldn't stop laughing.

Wow, I'm so happy.

When we were almost capable of breathing slowly, we stepped into the restaurant.

"A table for two, please"

The way Lee said it to the old lady was so, I don't know, like in a book. Not the information books Lee was addicted to, but the cheesy romance stories that made every teenage girl in my village drool.

She gave us a weird smile, like she was one of those drooling teenage girls.

"Aww… You're such a cute couple! You'll get your food for free today!"  
What?! Ok, now I wasn't so happy anymore. I'll better get this straight…  
"We're _not_ a-"  
Lee interrupted me, whispering.  
"Shut up, free food!"

It continued to be like that all evening, first the old lady, then the waiter _and_ everyone was giving us stupid commentary looks (she, so young, and he, way older? Sigh.)

But hey, it can't get worse than that. We're walking towards our room, it wasn't that bad… We had free food, it was good and at least we're alone now and nobody's giving us weird looks. I was alright again, I guess.

Then Lee opened the door to our room.

There's only one bed. Only. One. Bed. _One_. Oh no, just perfect, no, awesome, seriously. Great.

Things _really_ can't get worse.

It's not very surprising that I couldn't sleep. Lee had been so nice, he acted as if nothing was wrong. He had seemed pleased actually, now that I think about it… No, that's just my weird brain. Now he was sleeping sound, right next to me. Ok, there's plenty of room for three people in this bed so it doesn't _really_ matter. But I just hope I won't go snoring all night long.

I was really tired and finally I was able to let myself being pulled under by sleep, things turned dark… But then things turned light. It was blinding, like a white world. Hey, the world is actually white here. I blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust to all this white. Then I looked to my right, I had been standing next to the ocean. It was grey and looked cold and wild, I thought it was beautiful. Why was everything so unnaturally quiet? I looked up, at what seemed to be the end of the ocean I saw black spots. Little black spots, a lot of them. Boats? I think they're boats. Whoa, why would someone come with so many boats?

Now that I was busy with questioning, where the heck am I? The white world suddenly scared me and didn't look so calm and peaceful. I started running along the shore; I don't know what I'm looking for. The shore stopped, suddenly there was a huge bay. I can't see the other side, but I know it's there. I've been here before.

Before I turned to my left I knew what I would see: the great wall of the Northern Water Tribe. But it looked different, it was completely closed. How could anyone get in? The last time I saw the city it had been full of people and there had been a huge entrance gate. And are there _guards_ walking on the top of the wall? Something's not right, is this another city?

The black spots were close enough for me to see that they were really boats, an awful lot of boats. Then I recognised what kind of boats those were.

Someone on top of the wall alarmed the rest to get ready to fight.  
Fight?

Am I in the middle of a war?  
And if I'm not, what are the (very old fashioned) Fire Navy ships doing here?  
Someone took of on alone and he was very easy to recognise. Fire Lord Zuko was floating his own way up to the Northern Water Tribe.  
Then I understood what was going on; this wasn't my time. All of this had already happened a hundred years ago, I can only watch.  
And watching is what I did; I saw everything that had happened that day.

"You did _what_?"

Lee gave me a puzzled look, he probably just didn't understand what I just said.

"I dreamed about the siege of the North."

"What do you mean Maya? And why are you so calm? If the North Pole's going to be attacked we've got to do something…"  
"No, no just relax. I dreamed about the siege of the North, _a hundred years ago_."

"Oh, wow you scared me. Well, that explains why you've been sleeping so long…"  
I sighed.

Ok, I had been still asleep when he woke up and it had made me feel awkward. In the ideal situation I'd wake up first, then _pretend_ to be asleep and be the second one to wake up. So I'd be able to look cute while sleeping and I won't be snoring. Had I been snoring? I don't think I even want to know…

"Wait, the siege of the North? What do you mean with that?"

Obviously he had been so relieved that the North Pole wasn't in danger that he didn't realise what I had actually said up until now.

"There has been this huge battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation about a hundred years ago, when Avatar Aang was already out of his frozen bubble."  
"Maya… "  
"Sorry. Anyway, have you ever heard of that battle?"  
"Vaguely, you?"  
"Oh I've never heard of it, well I knew that the Fire Nation had attacked the Northern Water Tribe and that Avatar Aang had stopped them but not that it had been this big. What do you know about it?"  
"Something with the ocean spirit, the Avatar and the spirit joined and wiped the entire fleet out. That's all I know."

"Well, you're right about that. But there's more…"  
I told him the whole story and Lee listened carefully. He's always eager to get new information, especially about Avatars.

When I finished Lee stared out of the little window for a while before speaking, I could tell he was thinking hard.

"First of all, I want to find out why you dreamed this. It must have had a reason and I want to know."  
Suddenly he sounded like the old Lee, the Lee who had taught me all the Avatar stuff, the Lee who knew everything and thought way too much. The past three days I had seen a complete different side of him, a side I really liked but I'm _not_ thinking about that, and seeing this side again feels weird. Suddenly he sounds so old again.

"Then I'd like you to tell me more about some things, for example the Avatar State. We don't know much about that and now that you have seen it happening we might be able to understand it more. And you said the moon turned red, then disappeared and came back?"

"The commander first captured the white fish who is the mortal form of the moon spirit, which made the moon turn red. Then he killed the fish, which made the moon disappear. But a girl with a lot of white hair gave the life the moon spirit had apparently given her back, and the moon came back."

"That battle sounds really interesting and it seems like Avatar Aang had a group around him. I never realised how much there is that we don't know."

It was weird for me too, I was used to all the great stories about Avatar Aang and I did know that he had been so young but I never really realised it until I had this dream. Lee's right, there is so much that we don't know.

"I know… I really want to find out who his friends were and what they've done and stuff, it sounds very interesting."  
"Maya, where we have to focus on is the Avatar State. I think that has the biggest priority now, it's not only because I'm interested but it has something to do with you, too. You shouldn't forget that."  
"I think Avatar Aang's crew is cool to know about."

"Crew?"  
Gosh, he is so old…  
"Never mind. What can we do about the Avatar State? I've always told you that I don't think it's so easy to reach, we disagreed at that point."

I sighed as I remembered all the horrible discussions we've had, he wanted me to reach the Avatar State and I just couldn't do it. It's not like I have a button to click on.

"Well, you tell me. You saw it happening, what did he do?"

Staring at the ocean like I'm doing now is an amazing way to think.

It felt so weird to talk like that with Lee again, the past days have been so… Different. I don't know, he had seemed more like a friend, or, well, an older brother or something like that. Not my teacher, the way he seemed this afternoon again. Does he feel like an older brother? No. I don't think I trust him that much and we're not _that_ comfortable around each other, are we? No we're not. How close are we actually? Is he my mentor or something? Is he my friend? Is he a lot older than I am?

Ok, _stop_. This is not healthy, why do I even care? Where was I, oh, thinking, yes. Well definitely _not_ thinking of Lee so thinking of… Well, the Avatar State. Avatar Aang was obviously really upset, maybe it has to do with emotions. The anger that had radiated from him, I don't know if I ever want to feel like that.

"Hey there pretty lady."  
Someone with a really hoarse voice called out, I didn't even look up to see the girl he was calling to. Like I care, the girl will probably tell him to get lost as friendly as possible. Or maybe she'll say something mean, that would be fun. I feel him walking in my direction but I can't really feel anyone who's standing here. Weird.

"I was talking to you, sweetheart."  
Me? He couldn't mean _me_…

"Hey! Come on, you can hear me, can't you? Just turn your head so I can see you…"

He's close but I can't tell how close, metal is not as precise as earth. Oh, _crap_! I'm on a boat in the middle of the ocean; there's no earth to defend myself. No. Earth. A very unfamiliar feeling came over me, something I have never felt before. For the first time in my life, I felt vulnerable.

His hands covered my shoulders and I could feel his breath on my neck as he whispered in my ear.

"It's not nice to ignore someone, didn't you know that?"

Then I felt the heat.

It took me a little less than a second to realise why his breath was so warm.

"You're a firebender."

My whisper sounded weak but I still didn't turn around to face him, this way I felt more confident.

"You're right, pretty girl, you are right. And if I may ask, what are you?"

His hands moved from my shoulders and started to make their way down my arms to my hands. To make sure I wouldn't move? I shook his hands of me, then rested my arms on the rail.

"I'm sorry if I offended you young lady, I put it the wrong way. Let me start again."  
Again I felt his hands on my shoulders.

"If I may ask, _who_ are you?"

Again his hands started moving towards mine, his touch felt weird on my bare skin. It was cold and I shivered.  
"What is _wrong _with you?"  
His next question was filled with surprise, he doesn't understand what is happening. Neither do I, but I believe that is beside the point at the moment. I felt my fear fade a little, things aren't going the way he wants them to and that is definitely a good thing.

In a sudden burst of confidence I turned around to face him and spoke.

"Nothing's wrong with me, I'm just cold."

He was way too close, he raised his hand towards my face as he spoke.  
"But that's the point, sweetheart, that's the point. How come you are cold?"

Before I could even think of what to say next to make him go away I heard someone calling out my name.

"Maya!"  
Lee's voice sounded surprised and, well, maybe I'm just imagining this but he sounded a little hurt. The man backed away, there was actually distance between us and that made me feel a lot more comfortable.

"Lee!"  
I couldn't hide the relief that was so clearly audible in my voice. The man in front of me turned around to face Lee. Lee's expression was completely shocked when he saw the face of man that had been talking to me.  
"Maya, I was looking for you. You left your coat inside and well, it's cold here. I don't want you to get a cold or something."  
"Yeah I am cold and I want to go to our room. Are you coming with me? Please?" I quickly added and it had the effect I had said it for; Lee smiled widely.  
"Sure girl, come on."

"Were you really cold?"  
We were barely around the corner when Lee's smile had already faded.

"Uhuh, I have bare arms, wouldn't you be cold?"  
"Hn."  
Ok, what was wrong?  
"What's wrong, Lee? Why can't I be cold?"  
"Maya don't fool me, I know what that man was."

"What?"

Then he explained, men like him were known for going after every pretty girl they could find. More men are known for that but the warmers, as the people apparently called them, are different. They make you warm, that's something I could guess, but the warmth they spread across you body makes you not want to refuse them. Hundreds, thousands of girls have fallen for a warmer, only to be dropped shortly after. It's the chase for them, it's all they do. You can recognise a warmer by the tattoo on his left ear, this is something most people don't know but Lee knows everything so he recognised the man as a warmer.

"But I was really cold, seriously."  
"He didn't have any effect on you?"  
"No, I was scared and I didn't know what to do."  
"_You_ were scared?"  
I know what he's thinking. I'm never scared, never surprised and always ready.  
"I just realised that there is no earth here, Lee. Metalbending is extremely hard, I can only crush a tiny piece if I try real hard but that's all. Seeing through metal is ok, but I can't do more. I was defenceless."  
"Ah."  
He understood.

"But you said they only went after pretty girls."  
"Yes?"  
"I'm not pretty"  
He laughed and put his arm around my shoulders.  
"Oh Maya, you're such a mystery to me. Of all the people I have seen in my life, everyone I have spoken with, no one has surprised me as often as you. I thought I knew, you know, I thought I understood the human brain. But you, girl, you have me questioning everything I have taught myself. _You_'re not pretty? Please Maya, don't go saying stupid things."

I couldn't help but blush.

-------------------------------------------End Of Chapter 4 ----------------------------------------------


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